original scientific paper
ISSN 1330-9862
Sensory and Physicochemical Quality Characteristics of Haddock
Fish Cake Enriched with Atlantic Mackerel
Janna Cropotova1* ,
Revilija Mozuraityte2,
Inger Beate Standal2,
Olga Szulecka3 ,
Tomasz Kulikowski3 ,
Adam Mytlewski3
and Turid Rustad1
Department of Biotechnology and
1
Food Science, Norwegian University
of Science and Technology, Sem
Saelands vei 6/8, 7491 Trondheim,
Norway
SINTEF Ocean, Brattorkaia 17C, 7010
2
Trondheim, Norway
National Marine Fisheries Research
3
Institute, Kollataja 1, 81-061 Gdynia,
Poland
Received: 10 March 2020
Accepted: 2 February 2021
*Corresponding author:
E-mail: janna.cropotova@ntnu.no
4 January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1
https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.59.01.21.6695
SUMMARY
Research background. It is desirable to increase the consumption of pelagic fish rich in
long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Partial replacement of traditionally used white fish spe-
cies by pelagic fish will increase the content of omega-3 fatty acids, and thus improve the
nutritional value but it may also affect the consumer acceptance. The aim of this study is
to assess the physicochemical and sensory quality of novel fish cake prototypes prepared
from haddock and mackerel mince.
Experimental approach. Fillets of haddock and Atlantic mackerel were used as raw ma-
terial for preparation of fish cakes. The fish fillets were minced, mixed together (in had-
dock/mackerel mass ratio of 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50) with salt, potato starch, pepper and
full fat milk. Physicochemical and sensory analyses were further performed.
Results and conclusions. The fatty acid composition analysis showed that the recom-
mended daily intake of 250 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid can
easily be reached by consumption of fish cakes enriched with mackerel. The oxidation lev-
els of all fish cakes were low in terms of peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive
substance assay (TBARS). Fish cakes prepared with higher mass fraction of mackerel mince
(>50 %) had significantly (p<0.05) softer texture than other fish cakes due to higher amount
of fat in their formulations. At the same time, these fish cakes were significantly darker
than haddock-based (>50 %) fish cakes due to higher myoglobin content in the fish mus-
cle. Moreover, fish cakes with higher amount of mackerel mince had increased yellowness
due to the accumulation of water-soluble (r=0.990, p<0.05) and fat-soluble (r=0.976,
p<0.05) TBARS. Metabolites relevant for taste and quality were quantified by using 1H nu-
clear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The mass fractions of anserine, trimethyl-
amine oxide and β-alanine decreased, while the mass fractions of histidine, glutamic acid
and alanine increased with the addition of mackerel. Sensory tests have shown the addi-
tion of mackerel did not reduce consumer acceptability of the new fish cakes.
Novelty and scientific contribution. The research demonstrates that Atlantic mackerel
can be successfully used for partial replacement of white fish species in fish cake formu-
lations to produce healthy and tasty ready-to-cook products and increase the consump-
tion of small pelagic fish in Europe.
Key words: fish cake, haddock, Atlantic mackerel, sensory attributes, quality parameters,
nucleotides, NMR metabolomics
INTRODUCTION
Consumer awareness of health benefits associated with seafood consumption has in-
creased the demand for fish products over the last decades (1). Fish is a valuable source of
essential nutrients and bioactive compounds such as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids –
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), fat-soluble vitamins (E and
D), low-molecular-mass metabolites, such as anserine and taurine, and easily digestible
proteins (1–4).
A significant global increase in fish consumption has enhanced people’s diets all over
the world, making them more nutritious (5). In 2017, fish accounted for about 19 % of the

global population’s intake of animal protein (6). The Europe-
an fish consumption has grown continuously during the last
few decades, and currently 42 % of European consumers eat
fish and seafood products at least once a week (5). There are,
however, differences among countries. Norway has a relative-
ly high fish consumption compared to EU countries, but it is
decreasing. The results from household panel surveys show
a reduction of 7 % from 2016 to 2017, while from 2012–2017
the total reduction was 17 % (7). The reduction is largest
among people aged between 18 and 34, and one reason is
that younger people do not have the same traditions in pre-
paring fish as the older population (7). In addition, the con-
sumption of pelagic fish species is much lower than the con-
sumption of other fish species such as salmon or cod,
although the total catch of pelagic fish has increased gradu-
ally during the last years in the EU and Norway (5). This situa-
tion can partially be explained by a lack of diversity of pro-
cessed pelagic fish products (8), and lack of promotion
towards young consumers. Traditionally, small pelagic fish
have been used in the manufacture of canned fish products
such as mackerel in oil or tomato sauce, salted herring,
canned sardines, etc. To increase the consumption of pelagic
fish, and thereby improve the diet of the population, there is
a need to increase the diversification of fish products in Eu-
rope. Ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook fish products, i.e. canned
fish, fish cakes rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and nat-
ural antioxidants could be an option for a healthy diet.
The consumers readiness to taste new fish products dis-
played by European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aq-
uaculture Products (EUMOFA) (5) demonstrates the impor-
tance of having a diverse range of fish products obtained
from different fish species. Moreover, a stressed lifestyle af-
fects dietary patterns, increasing intake of processed and fast
food. Increasing the availability of easy to prepare healthy
and tasty food such as canned fish, fish cakes, fish balls, fish
burgers, etc. with maximal use of pelagic fish species such as
Atlantic mackerel, and studying consumer acceptance of the
developed products is a highly relevant approach. To study
consumer acceptance, sensory analysis is an important step
for assessing taste preferences of consumers. A sustainable
development of the fish processing sector in Europe can re-
duce the import and re-import of fish products (e.g. fish
caught in the EU that is processed in Asia and imported back
for consumption in the EU countries) through sustainable use
of resources (9).
Fish cakes, i.e. a formulated fish product typically consist-
ing of 50–80 % fish and prepared by frying in a pan or oven
have traditionally been consumed in many European coun-
tries, including Norway and Poland. In the Scandinavian
countries, they are generally made from white fish species
such as cod or haddock, with the addition of potato starch,
milk, herbs and salt. At the same time, fish cakes made from
fatty fish such as salmon and shellfish have recently become
popular in Norway and Asian countries such as Thailand, Ja-
pan or India (10).
Food Technol. Biotechnol. 59 (1) 4–15 (2021)
Atlantic mackerel is one of the main fish species used in
production of canned fishery products in Norway and Po-
land, ranking among the top small pelagic commodity
groups both in volume and value in 2017 and 2018 in Europe
(5,6). Nevertheless, although pelagic fish have been recog-
nized as a valuable component of the diet in many European
countries including Poland and Norway for many years, their
market position is low compared to other fish species. There
is a potential of increasing both the consumption and the val-
ue of mackerel by producing higher value products than the
traditional canned products (11). In addition, pelagic fish has
not been used for production of fish cakes to any large de-
gree neither in Norway nor in the EU.
The aim of the present study is to develop novel fish cake
formulations enriched with Atlantic mackerel raw material
rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids and to evaluate the phys-
icochemical and sensory characteristics of the developed
products. This will provide valuable data for both food man-
ufacturers and professionals on quality characteristics and
consumer acceptance and attitudes towards new fish cakes
based on haddock and Atlantic mackerel.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Preparation of fish cakes
Fillets of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and Atlan-
tic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) used as raw material for
preparation of fish cakes, were purchased fresh from a local
retailer (Ravnkloa, Trondheim, Norway). Prior to mincing, the
fillets were kept on ice. Other commercial ingredients such
as salt, potato starch, pepper, full cream milk and rapeseed
oil were bought in a local supermarket Rema 1000 (Trond-
heim, Norway).
To make fish mince, pieces of mackerel and haddock
(1470 g, (4±1) °C) were mixed together in haddock/mackerel
mass ratio of 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50 %, and further mixed
with 30 g salt for 30 s in a food processor (Bosch Universal
Plus, Gerlingen, Germany). Potato starch (50 g) and pepper
(2 g) were added and mixed for 15 s, followed by the addition
of 440 g full fat milk and mixing for 40 s. Fish cakes of 60 g
were made from the mixture and fried in rapeseed oil (three
tablespoons in a frying pan) for 3 min on each side. After fry-
ing, the cakes were transferred to the kitchen oven to cook
until the inside temperature reached 75 °C. The cakes were
cooled down, vacuum packed and stored at 4 °C for two days
before the consumption and analysis. Physicochemical anal-
yses of fish cakes were performed on the third day after
preparation.
Extraction of lipids and oxidation products
Lipids were extracted from the fish fillets and fish cakes
by the Bligh and Dyer method (12), which uses a binary mix-
ture of chloroform (Sigma-Aldrich, Merck, Oslo, Norway) and
methanol (purity 99.9 %) in a volume ratio 1:1, diluted with
January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1 5
J. CROPOTOVA et al.: Quality of Fish Cakes
distilled water (3:4) as an extraction medium. The extraction
was performed in duplicate. The total amount of lipids was
determined gravimetrically by placing the aliquot of the chlo-
roform phase extract in the pre-weighed glass tube kept in a
heating block at 60 °C under a stream of nitrogen until evap-
orating to dryness. Lipid extracts in chloroform phase and
water/methanol phase were stored at –80 °C prior to analysis
of peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances.
Lipid oxidation products
After lipid extraction by Bligh and Dyer method (12), de-
termination of fat- and water-soluble secondary lipid oxida-
tion products such as aldehydes was performed in the chlo-
roform and water/methanol phases, respectively.
Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in chlo-
roform phase were determined as described by Ke and
Wooyewoda (13). As a standard 1,1,3,3-tetraethoxypropane
(Sigma-Aldrich, Merck, Oslo, Norway) was used. The results
were expressed in mg malondialdehyde (MDA) per kg sam-
ple±standard deviation of at least four parallels.
TBARS in methanol/water phase were determined as de-
scribed by Schmedes and Holmer (14) using 1,1,3,3-tetraeth-
oxypropane (Sigma-Aldrich, Merck) as a standard. The results
are expressed in mg MDA per kg sample±standard deviation
of at least four parallels.
Peroxide value (PV) was measured in the lipid extract us-
ing the modified Shantana and Decker (15) method as de-
scribed by Baron et al. (16). A volume of 1 mL aliquot of total
lipid extract was mixed with 10 mL chloroform/methanol (7:3,
V/V), then thiocyanate solution (50 μL, 30 %) was added and
the reaction mixture was left to react for 5 min at room tem-
perature. The absorbance was read at 500 nm using a spec-
trophotometer (UV mini 1240; Shimadzu Corp., Tokyo, Japan).
PV was determined using a standard curve with FeCl3 as
standard. Analysis was performed in triplicate. The results
were expressed in meq peroxide per kg lipids as sample±
standard deviation.
Determination of fatty acid composition
The fatty acid (FA) profile of the extracted lipids in chlo-
roform phase was determined using an Agilent Technologies
7890A (Agilent Technologies, Berlin, Germany) gas chroma-
tograph (GC) with a flame ionisation detector (FID). The meth-
ylation step and GC-FID analysis were performed as described
in detail by Kristinova et al. (17). An internal standard 21:0 me-
thyl ester (purity 99 %; Nu-Chek Prep Inc., Elysian, MN, USA)
was added to the extracted sample prior to methylation. Fat-
ty acid methyl esters were identified by the comparison of
their retention times with those of a reference solution (Nu-
-Chek Prep Inc.) analyzed under identical gas chromato-
graphic conditions. The results were expressed as mass frac-
tion (%) of each FA in the total FA mass (g FA per g lipid) and
recalculated to give mg FA in 100 g product. Two replicates
were run for each sample.
6 January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1
NMR metabolomics
Fish fillet samples from both haddock and mackerel, and
samples from the inner part of the fish cakes (N=3 from each
group) were taken immediately after preparing the cakes and
frozen at –80 °C. Low-molecular-mass metabolites were ex-
tracted from the frozen samples by using methanol, chloro-
form and water. This is a method commonly used for lipid ex-
traction, but is also proposed for extraction of water-soluble
metabolites in NMR studies, and it is particularly found suitable
for tissues with high lipid content. The volumes and method-
ology were used according to Bligh and Dyer (12), but scaled
down by a factor of 100, and using an average water content
of circa 70 % in the samples. Approximately 1 g of sample was
extracted in triplicate for each type of fillet or fish cake. The
resulting water/methanol phase was evaporated in a vacuum
centrifuge (Eppendorf TM Concentrator plus, Oslo, Norway) at
30 °C for 1 h, freeze dried, and dissolved in 550 µL phos-
phate-buffered saline (PBS, pH=7.4).and transferred to 5-mm
NMR tubes. The PBS buffer was made using deuterium oxide
(99.8 % D; Sigma-Aldrich, Merck, Berlin, Germany) with 4,4-di-
methyl-4-silapentane-1-sulfonic acid (DSS)-d6 (98 % D; Sig-
ma-Aldrich, Merck, Berlin) as an internal standard (0.5 mM).
NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker Avance 600 MHz spec-
trometer (Bruker BioSpin GmbH, Rheinstetten, Germany) at
25 °C with a cryo-probe operating at a 1H frequency of 600.182
MHz (at the NMR laboratory at the Faculty of Natural Sciences,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim,
Norway). The 1H NMR spectra were obtained using the Bruker
pulse sequence noesygppr1d (1D NOESY pulse sequence with
presaturation for water suppression). The following settings
were used: sweep width 20 ppm, time domain 64k data points,
acquisition time 4.1 s, relaxation delay 1.0 s, number of scans
128, dummy scans 4. The raw data were multiplied with a
0.5 Hz exponential line broadening factor before zero filling
(real spectrum size (si) 64k data points) and Fourier trans-
formed. Low-molecular-mass metabolites in the resulting
spectra were identified and quantified by computer-assisted
manual fitting with Chenomx NMR Suite (v. 8.4, Chenomx, Ed-
monton, Canada). The results were expressed in mg/100 g of
fish cake, or in mM of the extracts for calculation of the fresh-
ness indicator K-value, as defined by Saito et al. (18). The K-val-
ue is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine (Ino) and hypox-
anthine (Hx) to the sum of all adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
related catabolites. In the current study, the K-value of the raw
material was calculated as the molar ratio of Ino and Hx vs the
sum of inosine monophosphate (IMP), Ino and Hx (since no ATP,
adenosine diphosphate or adenosine monophosphate were
detected). The K-value was also calculated for the prepared fish
cake to evaluate if there were significant changes in the taste
compounds IMP and Hx during cooking.
Colour parameters
Colour parameters of haddock and mackerel fish cakes
were measured instrumentally using a Minolta Chroma meter

CR-400 (Konica-Minolta, Osaka, Japan). Before starting the
analysis, the instrument was calibrated with a standard white
plate. The data were recorded in colour coordinates of L*
(lightness, black=0, white=100), a* (redness>0, greenness<0),
and b* (yellowness>0, blueness<0) according to the Commis-
sion Internationale de l’Éclairage (CIE) Lab scale. The meas-
urements were performed on three preselected locations of
the inner surface of each fish cake at room temperature, six
readings were conducted per each fish cake and the average
was calculated.
Texture parameters of fish cakes
Texture profile analysis (TPA) was conducted to measure
the hardness and cohesiveness of the fish cakes. The analysis
was performed at room temperature ((20±5) °C), with a tex-
ture analyzer (SMS Stable Micro Systems, Ltd., Surrey, UK)
equipped with a 5-kg load cell according to the method de-
scribed by Hultmann and Rustad (19). Prior to analysis, each
fish cake was cut in two parts using a kitchen knife, and the
measurements were performed on the inner part of the fish
cake section. A flat-ended aluminum cylinder of 35 mm in di-
ameter was pressed into the inner part of the fish cake at a
constant speed of 1 mm/s until it reached 60 % of its height.
The holding time between the compressions was 5 s. The
maximum resistance force was recorded in Newton (N) and
expressed as the average of two determinations per fish cake.
Cohesiveness, which represents the force holding the integ-
rity of fish cake structure while preventing it from rupturing,
was calculated as the ratio of areas delimited by the curves of
the second and the first compression of each separate fish
cake section.
Microbiological analysis
Microbiological analysis of fish cakes was performed by
an accredited lab (Analysesenteret in Trondheim, Norway).
The total aerobic plate count, thermotolerant coliform bac-
teria and anaerobic sulphite-reducing bacterial counts were
analysed using the following methods: for total aerobic plate
count NMKL method 86 (20), for thermotolerant coliform bac-
teria an internal method of the accredited lab, and for anaer-
obic sulphite-reducing bacteria NMKN method 56 (21). The
samples were prepared as described by NMKL method 91
(22). Briefly, a 1- to 2-mm thick piece of surface was aseptical-
ly cut using a 10 cm2 template and transferred to a Stomach-
er filter bag. Saline peptone diluent (0.85 % NaCl, 0.10 % pep-
tone, 9 mL) was added and the sample was homogenized at
230 rpm. The homogenate was defined as dilution 10:1. Dilu-
tion series of the homogenate were made in test tubes with
saline. The same samples were used both for total plate count
and iron agar count. Total plate count analysis was performed
according to NMKL 86 (20).
Sensory analysis
Sensory tests of fish cakes were conducted in Norway by
a group of 25 consumers (N=25). The selection was based on
Food Technol. Biotechnol. 59 (1) 4–15 (2021)
the availability of the respondents, with the use of two pari-
ties: about 50 % women/men and about 50 % people aged
55+. At the sampling stage, the following groups were exclud-
ed from the tests: people with food allergies, people who do
not eat fish or fish products and people participating in oth-
er consumer tests 3 months prior to the survey. Despite the
random selection of respondents, the study cannot be con-
sidered as a survey conducted on a representative nation-
wide sample of respondents (23), but as a pilot study.
Fish cake samples were warmed up for 2 min at 650 W in
a microwave oven (model NF4046; Electrolux, Stockholm,
Sweden) before the sensory test. Samples were coded with
random numbers and given in a random order. In order to
avoid tiredness of the senses, the number of tested products
was limited to 3 (fish cakes with different formulations). The
respondents described the feeling using sensory descriptors
and the evaluations were recorded using a tablet mobile de-
vice with a dedicated questionnaire uploaded.
The subject of the tests were sensory aspects of the dis-
cussed products in three assessment phases (23): (i) basic sen-
sory characteristics, (ii) satisfaction with individual sensory
elements, and (iii) overall satisfaction and the willingness to
purchase the product.
Basic sensory characteristics described the perception of
selected descriptors of the product experienced during con-
sumption (24). The intensity of each basic sensory descriptor
was assessed on a structured graphical scale with boundary
markings, corresponding to 0–10 units: for the saltiness 0
meant ’too little salt‘ and 10 ’very salty‘, for the firmness 0
meant ’very soft’ and 10 ’very hard’, for the juiciness 0 meant
’very dry’ and 10 ’very juicy’, for the intensity of the aroma 0
meant ’not very intense, faintly perceptible’ and 10 ‘very in-
tense’.
The research on the satisfaction with individual sensory
elements was based on asking the respondents to rate select-
ed product features (meat structure rating, meat colour rat-
ing, aroma rating) on a descriptive 8-point scale (25), where
1 was unacceptable and 8 was excellent (intermediate grades
were also described to respondents).
The level of overall satisfaction with the product and the
willingness to purchase it was assessed on the 5-point Likert
scale (where 1 was very negative, 3 was neutral, and 5 was
very positive). The acceptability index was calculated by sum-
ming up the values of the answers to the questions regarding
the level of satisfaction and willingness to purchase. Meas-
urements of both questions were made on the five-point Lik-
ert scale, therefore the values of the indicator were in the
range from 2 to 10 points. The calculated index was treated
as an interval quantitative scale (26).
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis and data processing were conducted
using Statgraphics Centurion XVI and Minitab 18 (27). Exper-
imental data in the tables and figures are the average values
of triplicate observations unless otherwise specified. Values
January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1 7
J. CROPOTOVA et al.: Quality of Fish Cakes

marked with different letters are significantly different
(p<0.05). Comparison of mean values was conducted using
one-way ANOVA with Minitab 18 (27). For NMR data ANOVA
with Tukey comparisons of means assuming equal variance
was applied when normality and homogeneity of variance
were confirmed by Anderson-Darling normality and Levene’s
tests, respectively. For some metabolites, these conditions
were not met, e.g. due to very different ranges in haddock
and mackerel samples (e.g. for histidine), and in this case ANO-
VA was run as above on the fish cake samples only, while a
two-sample t-test was performed on the raw material (had-
dock and mackerel). Also, for metabolites with zero values in
one or more of the raw materials (anserine, citrate), the ANO-
VA was run on the fish cake sample only.
For consumer acceptance and sensory test results, statis-
tical analysis and data processing were conducted using the
IBM SPSS Statistics v. 25 statistical package (27). Basic descrip-
tive statistics, frequency statistics, normality tests of the
Shapiro-Wilk distribution, univariate variance analysis, Pear-
son’s r correlation analysis and linear regression analysis with
multiple predictors were calculated (25). Differences were
considered significant at p<0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Lipid content and fatty acid composition
The lipid content in mackerel and haddock fillets used in
the study was (22.1±0.5) and (0.7±0.1) %, respectively (Table
1). The frying in rapeseed oil increased the final lipid amount
in w(haddock)=100 % fish cakes to 2 %. The mass fraction of
polyunsaturated fatty acids was lower in the haddock fish
cakes (w=(22.8±0.1) and (51.6±0.5) g/100 g total fatty acids,
respectively) than in the haddock raw material.
Based on the fatty acid composition of the fish cakes (Ta-
ble 1), the recommended daily intake of 250 mg of EPA and
DHA (28) can easily be reached by consumption of fish cakes
enriched with mackerel. By consuming circa 200 g of fish
cakes with 25 % mackerel (or 150 g of the fish cake with 50 %
mackerel), the recommended amount of EPA and DHA for
one week is reached.
Lipid oxidation
Peroxide value is used as a quality parameter of an oil- or
lipid-containing food product, although it is not directly re-
lated to its sensory quality (29). At PV>20 meq/kg (10 mmol/
kg), the level of peroxides that must be formed to produce
noticeable oxidative rancidity is reached; however, for some
products this limit is lower (e.g. 10 meq/kg or 5 mmol/kg) (29).
Peroxide value in the lipids extracted from the fish cakes was
(4.3±0.6), (7.1±0.6) and (7.6±0.6) meq/kg or (2.2±0.3), (3.6±0.3)
and (3.8±0.3) mmol/kg for fish cakes with haddock/mackerel
ratios 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50, respectively. Thus, the oxidative
quality of the lipids in fish cakes was acceptable. Recalculat-
ing the peroxide value per 1 kg product (Table 2), it is clear
that the content of peroxides in the fish cakes was very low
and measured in µeq (μmol) scale. The peroxide amount in-
creased significantly (p<0.05) by increasing the mass fraction
of mackerel in the fish cakes because of the increased amount
of lipids per 100 g of product and because of the higher un-
saturation in the fish cake with mackerel lipids (Table 2).

Table 1. Lipid content and fatty acid composition of haddock and mackerel mince and fish cakes prepared thereof
Fish cake
Raw material
Composition w(mackerel)/%
Mackerel Haddock 0 25 50
w(total lipid)/(g/100 g) 22.1±0.5 0.7±0.1 2.0±0.1 6.5±0.1 9.9±0.1
w(fatty acid)/(mg/100 g):
saturated (25.3±0.4)c (29.5±0.4)b (36.2±0.1)a (29.1±0.1)b (28.6±1.5)b
monounsaturated (45.7±0.6)a (18.9±0.2)d (41.1±0.1) c
(43.2±0.1)b (45.0±0.8)a,b
polyunsaturated (29.0±0.2)b (51.6±0.5)a (22.8±0.1)d (27.7±0.1)b,c (26.4±0.7)c
w(EPA+DHA)/(mg/100 g) (3890±16)a (199±3)d (183±3)d (943±18)c (1296±135)b
The same letter in each column determines no statistical difference among the values of fish cakes. Different letters denote significant
differences in ANOVA

Table 2. Physicochemical characteristics of fish cakes prepared from mackerel and haddock minces
w(mackerel in Peroxide value w(TBARS)1/ w(TBARS)2/ Cohesive-
L* a* b* Hardness/N
fish cake)/% μeq/kg µmol/kg (mg/kg) (mg/kg) ness
0 (87±11)c (43.5±5.5)c (0.2±0.0)c (0.2±0.1)c (81.2±0.4)a (–2.2±0.1)a (9.0±0.2)a (99.3±12.4)a (0.6±0.3)a
25 (465±38) b
(232.5±19.0) b
(0.6±0.0) b
(2.7±0.3) b
(77.5±0.5) a,b
(–1.4±0.2) b
(10.6±0.3) a, b
(82.1±11.3) b
(0.5±0.3)a,b
50 (786±49) a
(394.5±24.5) a
(0.8±0.1) a
(3.5±0.1) a
(73.9±0.6) b,c
(–0.8±0.1) c
(11.6±0.2) b,c
(70.5±5.4) c
(0.4±0.1)b,c
The same letter in each column denotes no statistical difference among the values of fish cakes. Different letters denote significant differences
in ANOVA. w(TBARS)1=thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in methanol/water phase, w(TBARS)2=thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in
chloroform phase, L*=lightness, a*=redness and b*=yellowness

8 January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1


The TBARS limit for quality and acceptability of oils for
human consumption is suggested on malonaldehyde (MDA)
basis to be 7–8 mg/kg (30,31), but the ’acceptable’ value can
also depend on the method used for both extraction and de-
termination. Both lipid- and water-soluble TBARS were meas-
ured in fish cakes. The amount of lipid/chloroform soluble
aldehydes was slightly higher than of methanol/water solu-
ble aldehydes, even though the measured mass fractions
were lower than the proposed ’acceptable’ value of MDA
8 mg/kg. One explanation of the higher amount of TBARS in
the lipid/chloroform phase than in the methanol/water phase
can be that the oxidation process in the samples is slow and
triglyceride molecule are not cleaved to the low molecular
hydrophilic oxidation compounds present in more oxidized
lipids.
In previous studies on minced fish products, different
TBARS mass fractions expressed as MDA have been reported,
e.g.: fried whiting balls w<0.27 mg/kg (32), anchovy cakes
w=0.9 mg/kg (33), rainbow trout fish burgers w<0.33 mg/kg
(34). The mass fraction of TBARS in haddock and mackerel fish
cakes also increased with increasing mass fraction of mack-
erel in the fish mass, which is, as already mentioned, due to
the increased amount of lipids and unsaturated fatty acids
(Table 2).
Colour parameters of fish cakes
Colour parameters of haddock and mackerel fish cakes
are given in Table 2. The lightness (L* value) of the fish cakes
increased significantly (p<0.05) with increased mass fraction
of haddock mince. This tendency can be explained by the
lower mass fraction of dark muscle of haddock than of Atlan-
tic mackerel. The significant (p<0.05) differences in redness
(a* value) between fish cakes prepared from haddock mince
alone, and fish cakes containing both haddock and mackerel
mince in their formulations can be explained by the amount
of myoglobin in these fish species (35,36). Myoglobin is the
predominant pigment in dark muscle of Atlantic mackerel,
which is found in very small amounts in haddock muscle. Dif-
ferences in yellowness (b* value) between haddock and had-
dock/mackerel fish cakes can be explained by the differences
in lipid oxidation occurring during the product preparation
process (35). The high mass fraction of polyunsaturated fatty
acids in Atlantic mackerel compared to haddock gives a high-
er susceptibility to lipid oxidation under elevated cooking
temperatures. In accordance with PV and TBARS data, the fish
cakes containing 25 and 50 % mackerel mince underwent
faster lipid oxidation. For all fish cake samples, the b* values
increased towards a more yellow colour following the in-
crease in lipid oxidation. This is in good agreement with a
previous study of Cropotova et al. (36) showing that accumu-
lation of secondary lipid oxidation products correlates with
increased yellowness of fish cakes. This is supported by a sig-
nificant correlation between the b* value and the amount of
water-soluble TBARS (r=0.990, p<0.05) and fat-soluble TBARS
(r=0.976, p<0.05).
Food Technol. Biotechnol. 59 (1) 4–15 (2021)
Texture parameters of fish cakes
Fish cakes prepared with higher mass fraction of haddock
mince in the formulations had significantly (p<0.05) higher
hardness and cohesiveness values than the fish cakes pre-
pared with equal amounts of haddock and mackerel mince
in the formulations, as shown in Table 2. This can probably be
explained by better gelation properties of fish mince pre-
pared with higher mass fraction of haddock with less fat.
Saldaña et al. (37) found that instrumental texture properties
such as hardness and cohesiveness were significantly affect-
ed by the fat content in the product formulation.
Microbiological parameters of fish cakes
Total aerobic plate counts, the bacterial counts of thermo­
tolerant coliform bacteria and anaerobic sulphite-reducing
bacteria counts were N<10 CFU/g in fish cakes with haddock/
mackerel mass ratio 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50. Total aerobic plate
count did not exceed the maximum limits (N=6 log CFU/g) of
microbiological criteria for fish products (fish sticks, fish por-
tions, fish cakes) given by International Commission on Mi-
crobiological Specifications for Foods (38).
Sensory parameters
One of the main aims of the consumer testing was to de-
fine the acceptance of the novel fish cake prototypes (with
mackerel replacing haddock). The assessment of product ac-
ceptance is based on the acceptability index, including the
level of satisfaction with the product and the willingness to
purchase it. Mean acceptability index for the white fish cakes
(with 100 % haddock, which are equivalent of the products
available on the market) was 5.56 (on a 10-point scale). For
novel fish cake prototypes the acceptability index was high-
er: 5.60 for fish cakes with 25 % mackerel and 5.80 for fish
cakes with 50 % mackerel (data not shown).
The result of the one-way ANOVA analysis for the three
fish cakes tested was not statistically significant. There were
no important differences at the level of acceptability be-
tween novel fish cake prototypes and white fish cakes.
Frequency statistics of acceptability index is a confirma-
tion of the existence of a market niche for newly developed
fish cakes (where mackerel partially replaces white fish). We
decided to take the value 8 for the acceptability index as a
limit value showing the existence of any market potential for
the product. It corresponds to definite fulfillment of expec-
tations or decisive willingness to buy, or simultaneous mod-
erate willingness to buy at a moderate level of satisfaction.
With this restrictive value of consumer acceptability, the
white fish cakes were accepted in the survey by 28 % of con-
sumers. Percentage of consumers that accepted novel fish
cake prototypes was even higher: 36 % for fish cakes with
25 % mackerel and 32 % for fish cakes with 50 % mackerel
(Table 3).
Next, it was verified whether the level of acceptability is
significantly related to the age of the respondent. The differ­
January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1 9
J. CROPOTOVA et al.: Quality of Fish Cakes

Table 3. Frequency statistics for the acceptability index of individual acceptance is obvious and expresses the consumers’ expec-
products tation that the fish cakes should be juicy. The high negative
w(mackerel in Point Acceptability index correlation (r=–0.55) between juiciness and firmness is also
fish cake)/% range N % expected; firm products are usually perceived as less juicy.
0 2–3 5 20.0 The high correlation between the acceptance of different
4–5 7 28.0 components (of the aroma, meat structure and meat colour:
6–7 6 24.0
r=0.47–0.49) and the total acceptability confirm that the as-
8 – 10 7 28.0
sessment of the aroma and appearance are important ele-
50 2–3 6 24.0
ments of the product’s evaluation. It should be noted that all
4–5 5 20.0
tested products have a delicate aroma, so weak positive cor-
6–7 6 24.0
relation between the intensity of the aroma and its accepta-
8 – 10 8 32.0
bility (r=0.26) is not surprising (Table 5).
25 2–3 3 12.0
At the last stage, a linear regression model was created to
4–5 11 44.0
select the best predictors of the acceptability value for fish
6–7 2 8.0
cakes. Sensory attributes of products whose correlation val-
8 – 10 9 36.0
ues with the acceptability ratio of fish cakes were statistically
significant (colour and aroma assessment and intensity, salt
content, and juiciness) were used as predictors.
ences in the level of acceptability ratio between three age The created model was statistically significant, and the
groups (18–30, 31–54 and 55+) for particular products were value of the adjusted R2 coefficient was 0.64 (Table 6), which
checked using one-way analysis of variance. The results were means that approx. 64 % of the variance in the acceptability
only statistically significant for fish cakes with 50 % mackerel ratio can be explained by the created model and its predic-
(Table 4). tors.
To determine the relationship among the sensory char- Statistically significant predictors in the final model were
acteristics of the products, component acceptance and final juiciness (β=0.60), aroma acceptability (β=0.31), saltiness
acceptance index, a series of correlation analyzes was per- (β=–0.25) and meat colour (β=0.21) (Table 6). This means that
formed using the Pearson’s r ratio among the following vari- consumers especially expected fish cakes with high juiciness,
ables: acceptability index, colour, acceptance, aroma accept- while it is also important to produce fish cakes with the right
ance, aroma intensity, saltiness, firmness, juiciness. Significant, (pleasant) aroma and right (probably not too dark) meat col-
high correlation (r=0.61) between juiciness and consumer our, and not too high salt content.

Table 4. One-way ANOVA test for the acceptability index of individual products between the three age groups
Age group
w(mackerel in
18–30 31–54 55+ F-value df P-value η2
fish cake)/%
Mean
0 4.2±2.4 5.7±2.4 5.9±1.8 1.53 2, 17.70 0.244 0.07
25 5.0±1.3 5.3±2.3 6.0±2.3 1.14 2, 25.32 0.336 0.03
50 7.0±1.5 4.9±2.3 6.1±2.4 3.76* 2, 23.74 0.038 0.11
df=degrees of freedom, P-value=level of marginal significance within a statistical hypothesis test, η2=proportion of variance accounted for by
a factor

Table 5. Analysis of Pearson’s correlation between sensory characteristics and the acceptability index of fish cakes
Variable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Acceptance parameter:
1. Acceptability index ---
2. Meat structure 0.47*** ---
3. Meat colour 0.45*** 0.60*** ---
4. Aroma acceptability 0.49*** 0.52*** 0.56*** ---
Basic sensory descriptor:
5. Aroma intensity 0.26** 0.18* 0.14 0.26** ---
6. Saltiness 0.14⁑ 0.02 0.05 0.13 0.30*** ---
7. Firmness –0.23** –0.15⁑ 0.02 –0.03 –0.18* 0.35*** ---
8. Juiciness 0.61*** 0.34*** 0.23** 0.17* 0.30*** 0.36*** –0.55***
⁑ 0.05<p<0.10, *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001

10 January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1

 Food Technol. Biotechnol. 59 (1) 4–15 (2021)

Table 6. Coefficients of a linear regression model predicting the acceptability index values of fish cakes based on sensory descriptors and com-
ponent acceptability
Model Predicator B SE β t F df p R2
Constant –0.72 0.95 –0.76
Meat structure –0.02 0.11 –0.01 –0.17
Meat colour 0.28 0.10 0.21 2.71**
Acceptability Aroma acceptability 0.48 0.10 0.31 4.74***
35.95 7.132 <0.001 0.64
index Aroma intensity 0.07 0.07 0.06 1.08
Saltiness –0.33 0.08 –0.25 –4.14***
Firmness 0.05 0.08 0.04 0.64
Juiciness 0.68 0.08 0.60 9.01***
**p<0.01, ***p<0.001. Constant=y-intercept, B=unstandardized beta, SE=standard error, β=standardized B coefficients, t=t test, F=F-value,
df=degrees of freedom, p=test probability, R²=coefficient of determination

Low-molecular-mass metabolites analyzed by HR NMR such as nucleotide derivatives, organic acids and sugars. This
Table 7 gives an overview of low-molecular-mass metab- pool of metabolites includes both taste-active components,
olites quantified in the muscle and fish cake extracts, and in- freshness indicators and metabolites that are considered bi-
cludes free amino acids, peptides and other small molecules oactive (39–42). For example, taurine is well recognized as

Table 7. Low-molecular-mass metabolites quantified in raw material and prepared fish cakes with different levels of haddock and mackerel
Fish cake
Raw material
w/(mg/100 g) w(mackerel)/%
Haddock Mackerel 0 25 50
Acetate (1.7±0.5)a (1.2±0.1)a (2.3±1.1)a (2.0±0.1)a (2.1±0.1)a
Alanine (14.9±1.2)c (28.6±2.5)a (12.0±2.2)c (15.7±0.2)bc (19.8±1.7)b
Anserine (236±36) n.d. (146±14)a# (122±78)a# (91±7)b#
Citrate n.d. n.d. (44±1.6)a# (44.1±2.4)a# (39.6±4.0)a#
Creatine (506±50)a (427±54)ab (346±12)bc (328±18)c (323±22)c
Creatinine (0.1±0.1)b (0.5±0.9)b (8.2±2.1)a (7.5±1.4)a (10.4±1.8)a
Dimethylamine (1.9±0.5)a (1.1±0.2)b (2.0±0.1)a (2.5±0.2)a (2.1±0.3)a
Formate (0.4±0.2)ab (0.2±0.1)b (0.6±0.1)a (0.5±0.04)a (0.53±0.02)a
Glutamate (8.7±1.4)d (46.7±5.4)a (12.5±2.0)cd (16.6±0.5)bc (22.7±2.1)b
Glycerol (3.9±2.2)b (261±3)a * * *
Glycine (12.1±1.7)a (12.7±0.8)a * * *
Histamine n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d.
Histidine (3.3±0.4)** (365±114)** (3.0±0.2)c# (66±2)b# (105±18)a#
Hypoxanthine (3.0±1.2)b (6±0.4)a (1.6±0.2)b (2.9±0.3)d (2.5±1.3)b
IMP (134±27)a (74±34)b (66±2)b (73±23)b (58±4)b
Imidazole (6.9±4.0)a (1.1±1.0)b (4.9±1.2)ab (3.8±0.1)ab (2.7±0.6)ab
Inosine (62±25)ab (90±1)a (54±3)b (43±2)b (59±2)b
Isoleucine (1.9±0.3)c (4.9±0.1)a (1.8±0.4)c (2.40±0.03)c (3.3±0.4)b
Lactate (387±30)ab (415±87)a (273±4)c (303±4)bc (315±6)abc
Lactose n.d. n.d. (1203±58)a (1325±160)a (1177±70)a
Leucine (3.6±0.34)c (9.8±1.3)a (3.0±1.3)c (5±0.1)bc (7.2±0.5)b
Lysine (7.6±0.6)cd (33±2.7)a (3.8±1.0)d (11.0±0.2)bc (14.4±4.1)b
Methionine (1.9±0.5)bc (4.4±0.1)a (1.3±0.1)c (2.3±0.1)b (2.3±0.4)b
Phenylalanine (1.4±0.6)c (5.1±0.6)a (1.4±0.6)c (2.24±0.04)bc (3.3±0.4)b
Succinate (0.2±0.2)c (0.17±0.006)c (0.69±0.02)b (0.93±0.01)ab (1.2±0.1)a
Taurine (63±5)ab (72±6)a (50±3)c (60±1)abc (56±7)bc
Trimethylamine (0.1±0.1)c (0.9±0.3)b (0.7±0.1)bc (1.5±0.4)a (2.1±0.2)a
TMAO (353±38)a (138±18)d (256±8)b (215±9)bc (180±11)cd
Tyrosine (2.0±0.7)cd (8.0±0.9)a (1.2±0.1)d (2.8±0.1)bc (4.1±0.23)b
Valine (3.2±0.4)c (9.5±0.9)a (3.0±0.9)c (4.36±0.05)bc (5.9±0.5)b
β-Alanine (6.9±2.0)a n.d. (7.0±0.5)a (4.9±0.1)ab (4.0±0.4)b
Data are expressed in mg/100 g on wet mass basis (average with standard deviations, N=3). *Quantification not possible due to overlapping
lactose peaks. Different letters denote significant differences in ANOVA. For some metabolites, ANOVA was run only on the different fish cake
samples, and these are denoted with #. **For histidine, the t-test showed differences in mean values of histidine for haddock and mackerel
raw materials. n.d.=not determined

January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1 11

J. CROPOTOVA et al.: Quality of Fish Cakes
beneficial for the cardiovascular system (2), and anserine is
known as an antioxidant and is suggested to impact cogni-
tive functions (4).
The most obvious difference in the profile of low-molec-
ular-mass metabolites in muscle extracts from haddock and
mackerel is the different levels of anserine and histidine (Ta-
ble 7). Anserine is abundant in haddock (w=(236±36) mg/100 g),
and not detected in mackerel, while histidine is dominant in
mackerel (w=(365±114) mg/100 g) and not detected in had-
dock. Imidazole compounds, such as histidine and anserine,
act as pH buffers in fish muscle; and active migratory fish spe-
cies, such as mackerel, have high levels of free histidine (42).
The level of histidine in mackerel is also relevant for food safe-
ty, since it is a precursor of histamine, which is responsible for
scombroid poisoning caused by spoiled fish (with histamine
above w=5–10 mg/100 g). However, in the present study, the
histamine content in mackerel was below the detection limit
(w<1 mg/100 g), confirming that the mackerel was of good
freshness and had been treated hygienically.
The trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) mass fractions are in
general higher in haddock (w=(353±38) mg/100 g) than in the
mackerel (w=(138±18) mg/100 g). TMAO is known to be a sig-
nificant contributor to the pool of cellular metabolites in
whitefish, while pelagic fish are reported to have lower mass
fractions of TMAO (43). The TMAO mass fractions are in agree-
ment with previous studies on whitefish (cod (43) w=340–380
mg/100 g) and mackerel (40) (w=(130–170) mg/100 g). For tel-
eosts (bony fish), TMAO are regarded as important for coun-
teracting destabilization of proteins by pressure, and the con-
tent increases in deep waters (43). It has been observed that
TMAO may have a protective effect in prion diseases, but
TMAO has also been associated with adverse cardiovascular
events, and its role as a potential biomarker or new therapeu-
tic target has recently been reviewed (44,45). As previously
shown in studies of fish sauce (46), free amino acids such as
glutamate, pyroglutamate and alanine have been shown to
be major contributors to fish-like taste and to its umami,
sweetness and overall taste. Mackerel in general has higher
levels of many free amino acids relevant for taste, such as ala-
nine and glutamate, but especially histidine, than haddock.
The above-mentioned differences in low-molecular-mass
metabolites in haddock and mackerel muscle are reflected in
the corresponding profile of the fish cakes with different
mass fractions of mackerel. It was observed that the standard
deviation in the quantified metabolites was larger for the
muscle samples than for the fish cake samples; it is proposed
that the well-known variation within biochemical composi-
tion of fish individuals (due to factors such as age, size and
gender) is evened out in the preparation of fish mince during
the preparation of the fish cakes. For the fish cakes, lactose
peaks (from the added milk) are dominant in part of the spec-
tra, making it challenging to quantify glycerol and glycine
due to overlapping peaks. In addition to the lactose, there
was a clear increase in citrate, creatinine and succinate in the
fish cakes compared to the raw material, which is also due to
the added milk (46).
12
The trimethylamine (TMA) mass fractions increased from
the fish raw material to the prepared fish cakes. TMA may be
formed from TMAO, by certain bacteria during storage of fish
and is responsible for a fishy odour (42). Different ranges of
quality limits for TMA have been proposed, as summarized
by Barbuzzi et al. (47), who chose an intermediate limit of
w=6 mg/100 g in a study of fish mince. However, TMA is also
reported to be present in milk (48). The TMA mass fraction in
the haddock raw material was w=0.1 mg/100 g. In the fish
cake with haddock, the mass fraction of TMA was w=0.7 mg/
100 g even though the haddock mass fraction was only ap-
prox. 74 % in the fish cake (22 % was milk). The TMA also in-
creased with increasing addition of mackerel in the fish cake
(to w=2.1 mg/100 g in the fish cake with 50 % mackerel). This
increase is higher than the theoretical increase due to the ad-
dition of mackerel, and the volume of added milk was con-
stant. It is therefore proposed that even though some TMA is
present in the milk, the increase in TMA mass fractions from
raw material to fish cakes is probably due to microbial degra-
dation of TMAO. The fish cake with haddock was prepared at
the beginning of the day, while the cake with 50 % mackerel
some hours later, so in addition to increasing mackerel con-
tent (with highest TMA values), some TMA was also formed
during the production day.
Compared to the traditional recipe (without the addition
of mackerel), inclusion of mackerel significantly increased the
mass fraction of His in the fish cakes. Ala and Glu increased
somewhat but to a lesser content and the increase was sig-
nificant in the fish cake with 50 % mackerel. The higher mass
fraction of such free amino acids in mackerel fish cakes can
be one of the explanations of the sensory analysis showing
that the aroma intensity of fish cakes with mackerel was high-
er than when using only haddock as raw material. However,
since the taste is a function of many different taste com-
pounds (49) (such as nucleotides, peptides, volatile com-
pounds, and fatty acid derivatives), a further investigation of
the correlation of the free amino acids and sensory attributes
was beyond the scope of this topic.
The mass fraction of taurine was neither significantly dif-
ferent between haddock/mackerel nor between the three
types of fish cakes: the mass fraction in mackerel (w=72 mg/
100 g) was similar to the values found by Gormely et al. (2)
(w=78 mg/100 g). The mass fraction of TMAO, anserine and
β-alanine was reduced when mackerel was added to tradi-
tional fish cakes.
The acceptable K-values differ among fish species, but
generally a K-value<20 % is categorized as very fresh, while a
K-value of 50–70 % is regarded as moderately fresh. Even
though the K-value was higher for the mackerel fillets than
the haddock fillets (Fig. 1), both were of acceptable freshness
(<70 %), even though large variations were seen. The K-value
did not increase significantly during preparation of haddock
fish cakes, i.e. the K-value of haddock fillets was (40±14) %,
while for the haddock fish cakes, the value was (53±0) % (Fig.
1). In addition, the K-values of fish cakes with haddock/
January-March 2021 | Vol. 59 | No. 1

80
70
60
50
K-value/%
40
30
20
10
0 analysis and took part in sensory analysis. R. Mozuraityte de-
Haddock Mackerel 100:0 75:25 50:50
Raw material Fish cakes
Fig. 1. K-value (ratio of inosine and hypoxanthine to the sum of all
adenosine triphosphate-related catabolites) for haddock and mack-
erel and fish cakes (FC) prepared thereof with different mass ratios of
haddock and mackerel: 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50 %
mackerel mass ratio 75:25 and 50:50 (46 and 60 %, respective-
ly) was similar to the K-value of the raw material (46 and 52 %,
respectively). This implies that no significant breakdown of
IMP to Ino or Hx took place during storage prior to cooking
and during cooking. IMP is related to the umami fish taste of
fresh seafood, while Hx is a contributor to the bitter off-fla-
vour of spoiled fish and are thereby relevant sensory quality
indicators also of the final product.
CONCLUSIONS
Partial replacement of traditionally used haddock mince
by mackerel mince in fish cake formulations significantly im-
proved the nutritional profile of the product by increasing
the EPA and DHA mass fractions. This resulted in softer and
more tender texture due to higher fat mass fraction in fish
cake. However, fish cakes enriched with mackerel mince had
a significant increase in redness due to higher myoglobin
content, and increased yellowness as a result of accumulation
of secondary lipid oxidation products: water-soluble (r=0.990,
p<0.05) and fat-soluble TBARS (r=0.976, p<0.05). Neverthe-
less, none of the fish cakes including the ones enriched with
mackerel mince exceeded the limits of the oxidative lipid sta-
bility.
Sensory studies indicated that the increase in mackerel
mass fraction positively affected the juiciness and aroma of
fish cakes, while slightly negatively shaping the colour of the
product and saltiness. These effects, in a way, offset each oth-
er, taking into account that the total rating of fish cakes with
white fish and 25 and 50 % replacement of mackerel is similar,
and the differences are not statistically significant. Further-
more, 30 metabolites were quantified by using NMR metab-
olomics, and several of these are relevant for taste and nutri-
tional value. The mass fraction of anserine, trimethylamine
N-oxide and β-alanine decreased, while the mass fraction of
Food Technol. Biotechnol. 59 (1) 4–15 (2021)
histidine, glutamate, alanine increased with the addition of
mackerel.
FUNDING
This study is based on the work supported by the JPI pro-
ject ProHealth ’Innovative processing to preserve positive
health effects in pelagic fish products’, RCN 259582/E50,
funded by Norwegian Research Council, Oslo, Norway.
AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTION
J. Cropotova drafted the manuscript, performed texture
signed the work, performed and described lipid analysis, and
took part in fish cake preparation. I.B. Standal performed and
described NMR analysis, took part in fish cake preparation
and performed critical revision of the manuscript. O. Szulecka
drafted sensory analysis description and performed data
analysis. T. Kulikowski organized and performed sensory anal-
ysis, collected the data and performed data interpretation. A.
Mytlewski participated in drafting of the sensory analysis sec-
tion and its critical revision, as well as in data interpretation.
T. Rustad participated in drafting of the manuscript, per-
formed critical revision and final approval of the version to
be published.
ORCID ID
J. Cropotova https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4938-2674
O. Szulecka https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9889-6703
T. Kulikowski https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7798-3346
A. Mytlewski https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6671-9913
T. Rustad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8972-6347
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